Trusted Timberlands

By Sarah Hugill 

For once I went for the sensible option for shoes…. shocker I know!

With a trip to New York on the horizon (which I have to add reached -14 degrees when we were out there) I thought a boot for all weathers would be ideal. As much as I love my UGG boots, as many of you will know snow is not their friend!

I would advise that you wear Timberlands in though if your planning on doing a lot of walking in them, as I found they did rub slightly where the boot finished on my leg. But overall I’m really happy with my purchase. I even managed to fit a pair of fluffy socks under them and didn’t have to dart out of snowfall for fear of it staining the suede!

The traditional choice of Timberlands was definitely the right one for me! Have you got a pair, or have you considered buying some? Let us know @thesarahsblog

NOTD

By Sarah Redman

Not a classic OOTD (outfit of the day) but a NOTD (nail of the day).

Today I have gone with a nude look. This weather is playing havoc with my ability to decide on a nail colour. I’m done with winter now – I love a cuddly knit but I’m just so fed up of being cold – so I’m not sure on my dark polishes, my effects and my glitters. But then again, I’m not really ready for my bright summer styles. So I’m left with my muted pastels and after painting my nails I’m not complaining. It’s a nice in-between.

I have gone for a nude. My nail polish is by Ciate and came as part of my Mini Mani Month. It’s called Amazing Gracie and not only is it pretty, but it reminds me of my lovely little sister, Gracie, back home. My base coat is Ciate Underwear and my top coat Ciate’s Speed Coat. I have also used Essie‘s Apricot Cuticle Oil.

What’s your favourite nail colour of the moment? Let us know and leave a comment, Tweet us @thesarahsblog or post on our Facebook page.

My new favourite outfit

By Sarah Redman

This year I decided to avoid the sales as much as I could. I took one look at my wardrobe and thought seriously this needs a clear out. Frankly, that bright idea of mind is still sitting on my to do list, but I have done what I consider to be very well in the sales. With only two clothes purchases and one pair of shoes… and a little bit of make-up. But in fairness Boots had some kind of major reduction flash sale just as I finished work… would have been rude not to really.

My new favourite outfit comes from a couple of different places. My first sale purchase was the shoes, with my collection hovering around the 60 pairs I figured one more pair couldn’t hurt. I was right my lovely new Nine West courts definitely don’t hurt my feet! I found these lovelies in the Fenwicks sale for £39.00 reduced from £125.00.

My second sale item is this lovely burgundy pencil skirt from Dorothy Perkins, actually bought on my lunch break whilst I was shopping for someone else but it was just sitting there in my size for a tenner. So I snapped it up and even got student discount on my sale purchase – bonus.

The last addition is a staple black t-shirt. This is a H&M number I’ve had for a while, although it hasn’t seen many outings. I first bought this in a cream at the beginning of summer and wore it to death, so at the end of the season thought a black version would come in handy for Autumn/Winter. I love the subtle detail of the mesh shoulders and around the neck, this tee also has a gold zip running from the back of the neck through to the end of the mesh.

Finally I accessorised with black opaque tights as its winter and there is some serious chill in the air right now. Alongside one of my amazing Christmas presents from my parents, my gold chain and black rope statement necklace.

Unfortunately I can’t find my mum’s camera anywhere and for some reason this was the only one in use the night of our belated New Years gathering with old friends of the family, so no photo’s of me on the night! Sorry, although I will post an update when I find a decent photo – or even wear this outfit again.

Did you like any of my sales purchases? Or would you have styled this differently? Leave a comment below, Tweet us @thesarahsblog, or comment on our Facebook page to let us know.

Topshop socks deal

By Sarah Redman

Socks are a winter basic and these lovely pairs from Topshop are no different. Both us Sarah’s are a fan of the lacey sock, we own so many pairs between us in all different colours, I figured one more par couldn’t hurt.

Lace trim ankle socks:

I am loving velvet this season so to see some velvet trimmed socks in my favourite colour was fantastic. These socks are so cute and would look great with a chunky black sandal to keep your toes warm!

Plum velvet trim ankle socks:

Finally I think the third pair of socks are so much fun. The gold running through the socks definitely bling’s up your outfit and I think a little bit of gold this time of year makes everything seem that little bit more Christmasy.

Gold fine glitter ankle socks (currently available online in bronze):

These socks were a lovely present from my mum whilst out Christmas shopping together, they retail at £3.50 each or you can buy 3 pairs for £8.00. All the styles are available in a range of colours.

Do you like Topshop’s sock and take advantage of the deal? Or have you seen a trend here you would like to try? Let us know and leave a comment or Tweet us @thesarahsblog

Christmas is coming!

By Sarah Redman

It’s that time of year again and it’s safe to say I love a good Christmas decoration.

So I thought I would share with you all a recent addition to my Christmas bauble collection.

This Wilko Jingle Bell Christmas Decoration costs £1.50 and is available in white and berry. This decoration genuinely does jingle and it is great value for the price tag. It has been popular, so is currently out of stock online, but your local store may still have some left or you can check out their Christmas shop.

Have you started decorating yet or have you been buying in preparation? Let us know and leave a comment below or tweet us a picture @thesarahsblog

Simple eyes

By Sarah Redman

I don’t know about you, but when I get stressed and tired my eyes are the tell tale sign. I become very aware of puffiness and the skin around my eyes just generally looking dull. So this lovely simple product has been my savoir for this term at uni.

This is the Simple ‘Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-on‘. This little tube is great for waking up the skin around your eyes. The roller ball applicator is used to massage the skin around your eyes while it applies the product. The roller ball is also cold to the touch so will soothe the skin, this especially helps with puffiness.

I keep my eye roll-on in my room at uni, however my heating does leave something to be desired (heat!) so my room is constantly at a cool temperature. If you have the luxury of non-temperamental heating then I suggest keeping this little tube in the fridge to maintain the best effects of this product.

I love the cucumber extract in this product, it is great for my sensitive skin and hasn’t caused any blotches or breakouts! This product is a miracle if you have had one too many late nights.

Would you use this product? Or do you have a favourite eye product, leave a comment below or Tweet us @thesarahsblog to let us know.

Decorative door

By Sarah Hugill 

Add some sparkle this winter.

I’m not a fan of blank canvases, and my door was looking slightly out of place, with no decoration. Therefore, when I spotted this silver leafed heart from “good old” Wilkinson I couldn’t resist. 

Have your brought any homely items for you room for winter? Let us know @thesarahsblog  

Winter booties

By Sarah Hugill

Everyone needs a cosy pair of shoes to keep those tootsies warm.

I found these in Dorothy Perkins for just £32. With sheepskin lining, and a suede finish these booties are the perfect winter shoe.

Have your brought a new pair of boots this season? Let us know @thesarahsstyleblog 

Winter nails

By Sarah Redman

During the winter my nails get quite brittle so nail polish chips easily, this can be really annoying especially if my nails are weak.

Recently I have discovered Rimmel London’s Salon Pro with Lycra (£4.49). I love this polish, i think it’s going to become my go to nail polish… I now own the three shades below!

The Lycra makes a noticeable difference to other nail polishes and whilst it has never lasted the whole ten days it claims it can last you up to, I still love it and the colour definitely doesn’t fade either. Even with one coat the coverage is great and it is really fast drying. The brush is another great factor to this polish, it is wide, flat and shaped, perfect for even nail coverage first time.

This product comes in a range of rather lovely colours, some designed by Kate Moss – I find they are a bit different to some more standard ranges, this includes more of a range on colour, going for the dusty pink (grape sorbet) above right and the powdery denim blue (navy seal) above centre. Personally i feel this product is great value for money.

I think for the optimum results from this polish two coats and a top coat are required, but then that works best for most polish’s. My only criticism is that the lid is quite chunky, which is fine – but if you are used to a smaller lid to hold it can seem a bit tricky to get the precision you are after on first use.

Have you tried Lyrca Pro? What did you think? Leave a comment and let us know or Tweet us @thesarahsblog

Affordable Autumn

By Sarah Redman

I don’t think i am necessarily known for my budgeting, most probably due to the size of my shoe collection, however now the uni term has started the realities of paying rent, bills and on top of that the food shop have meant i’m doing my best to curb any excessive expenditure.

Being as i’m studying journalism i put magazine purchases under ‘course materials’ in my budget, so i have been keeping up with the autumn / winter trends. I have mentioned in previous posts that the oversized jumper is here to stay. Personally i think it is just the fashion industry realising last winter was just too cold and went on way too long, so have given us the oversized jumper for this season.

One of the big colours on the catwalks for autumn / winter 2013 was burgundy, the rich wine colour can immediately give your look a winter appeal. So i thought why not combine these two trends into one with my last purchase before i left for uni.

This burgundy jumper with shoulder patches is actually a men’s jumper, but for £16.00 from F&F Tesco’s i couldn’t resist the size small (just roll the sleeves up and you are good to go). The brown suede patches on the shoulders, differs from the usual elbow patch style seen on many knits last year. Unfortunately for me this jumper is now in the sale at £12.00, but on the upside it does also come in a rather nice navy blue.

Have you got any bargains recently or found something you love in the men’s section? Leave a comment and let us know or Tweet us @thesarahsblog